Lapras smoothly cut through the water's surface, its broad back providing a stable seat for the four people, making them feel as if they were on level ground.
The surrounding mist, however, grew increasingly intrusive, transforming from a thin white veil into thick cotton batting that swallowed everything, leaving only ten square meters of visibility.
The sounds of water, wind, and even breathing became dull and blurred within this dense fog.
Only the silhouette of Mt. Pyre in the distance, looking like a stroke of thick ink drawn on the horizon, remained clearly standing there despite the churning mist, exuding an indescribable sense of eeriness and solemnity.
Ariel withdrew his gaze from the mountain's shadow, unable to help feeling a sense of unease in his heart.
Such abnormal natural phenomena often hid unknown secrets behind them.
"The climate of Mt. Pyre is very special."
Tome seemed to see Ariel's confusion and took the initiative to explain, her voice sounding somewhat distorted in the mist.
"The fog here never dissipates throughout the year, but strangely, it never completely obscures the mountain itself. There is a legend that says this is a guiding light lit for the souls of deceased Pokémon, so they can find their way home."
A guiding light?
Ariel remained noncommittal.
To him, legends were just stories; it was more likely that a unique energy field was influencing the climate.
As soon as she finished speaking, the water surface ahead was suddenly broken with a splash!
An orange-red figure burst out with a spray of water, the sharp horn on its head gleaming with a cold light as it charged straight toward Lapras's flank!
It was a Goldeen.
Steven didn't even bat an eye, simply uttering two words: "Attack."
Lapras let out a low cry, and a deep blue Water Pulse instantly condensed in front of it, striking the Goldeen with precision before it could land its hit.
That Goldeen didn't even touch Lapras's scales before it cried out in pain and was sent flying, belly-up, creating a circle of ripples on the water.
Everything happened too fast; before the two interns could react, the battle was already over.
However, this was only the beginning.
As if the defeat of that Goldeen had triggered a switch, several dark shadows rapidly emerged beneath the calm water, and the current began to churn violently.
"Gurgle... gurgle..."
Bubbles surged, and in the next second, seven or eight figures several times larger than the previous Goldeen burst from the water, surrounding Lapras!
Their eyes were fierce, and the sharp horns on their heads reflected a dangerous light in the fog.
It was a group of Seaking!
Moreover, one of them was exceptionally large, with darker scales and an aura that far surpassed its kin.
"Beep beep beep!"
The detection device in Masaki's hand emitted a piercing alarm.
"Mr. Steven! This... this Seaking's energy level has reached Level 50! It's a Gym Leader Level Pokémon!"
Tome's face turned slightly pale, clearly nervous in the face of this situation.
They weren't combat personnel; their job here was merely to act as guides.
Furthermore, their Pokémon were all of a supportive nature and were completely useless in a direct confrontation like this.
The two subconsciously turned their pleading gazes toward Steven. In their eyes, the successor of Devon Corporation should be able to handle such a scene with ease.
After all, there had long been rumors outside that Steven's strength had already reached the Gym Leader Level.
As employees of Devon Corporation, they were naturally curious about their young master's strength.
But Steven just watched with interest, his arms crossed, and he even turned his head to raise an eyebrow at Ariel.
The meaning in his eyes was crystal clear: it's your turn to perform.
Ariel cursed inwardly. This guy clearly wanted to see what level his current strength had reached, using this group of wild Pokémon as a touchstone.
So be it.
He didn't bother with nonsense; with a flick of his wrist, a Poké Ball was already between his fingers.
"Go, Greninja."
A flash of red light, and a sleek dark blue figure condensed in front of Ariel, arms crossed, its crimson scarf fluttering in the damp, cold air without any wind.
Level 49!
Seeing Greninja's level, the small spark of hope that had just ignited in the two interns was instantly extinguished.
Was he joking?
Using one Level 49 Pokémon to fight six Seaking in their 30s plus a Level 50 leader?
Not only was the level suppressed, but the numbers were at an absolute disadvantage. Wasn't this just throwing the match?
"Mr. Ariel, this is too..."
One of them couldn't help but want to dissuade him.
"Just watch."
Ariel's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable calm.
He didn't even give a complex command, only uttering two words.
"Clear the field."
Before his voice could fade, Greninja moved.
Its figure instantly blurred, turning into an afterimage almost impossible to track with the naked eye, pulling long ripples across the water.
Water sprayed, and afterimages flickered.
At almost the same instant, six Water Blades, condensed as sharp as knives, precisely sliced across the necks of those six ordinary Seaking.
Without even having time to let out a cry, they all flipped belly-up in unison and floated to the surface.
The entire process took no more than three seconds.
Fast! Too fast!
The two interns' mouths hung half-open, and the detection devices in their hands almost fell into the water.
They hadn't even seen Greninja's movements clearly before the battle was mostly over.
On the water, only the Level 50 Seaking leader remained.
It clearly hadn't figured out the situation either; its companions, who were aggressive just a second ago, were now all floating corpses. Its huge fish eyes were filled with confusion and terror.
Ariel's commands followed one after another, as calm as if he were solving a math problem.
"Double Team, Quick Attack."
Greninja's figure split into three, charging toward the Seaking leader from three different directions in a triangular formation.
The Seaking was made dizzy by this display and subconsciously used Hydro Pump against the clone in front of it.
However, the Hydro Pump only pierced through a phantom.
The real Greninja had already appeared at its rear-flank, its arm-mounted Water Blades snapping out and striking the Seaking's hard scales twice in succession with sharp whistling sounds!
Clang! Clang!
Blade light sparked in all directions!
The Seaking, in pain, let out a roar and violently whipped its tail, trying to swat away the enemy behind it.
But Greninja's movements were faster; using the recoil of the strike, its body performed a graceful mid-air roll and retreated several meters, landing steadily on the water.
"Water Shuriken."
Ariel gave the final command.
Greninja brought its hands together, and a massive shuriken compressed from high-density water instantly formed. It spun at high speed, tearing through the thick fog with a sharp howl, aiming straight for the Seaking's head!
The Seaking leader had just recovered from the stun of the consecutive attacks. Facing this fatal blow, it was already unable to dodge.
Pfft!
The shuriken hit the target with precision, its massive impact flipping the creature over. After rolling a few times on the water, it completely lost all movement.
The feat of defeating a higher-level opponent was completed in the blink of an eye.
Ariel unhurriedly took an empty Poké Ball from his waist and tossed it casually.
The Poké Ball traced a graceful arc in the air, accurately hitting the Seaking leader's forehead. The red light drew it inside, and after rocking a few times on the water, it emitted a crisp "click" sound.
Capture successful.
From releasing the Pokémon to the capture, the entire process was smooth and efficient, without a single wasted movement.
A dead silence fell upon Lapras's back.
The corner of Steven's mouth curled into a smile that said 'as expected,' watching Ariel's performance as if admiring a work of art.
As for the two interns, they were completely petrified.
They looked at Ariel, then at the Poké Ball floating quietly on the water, their minds a complete blank.
An instant kill?
What... kind of strength was this?
Ariel retrieved the Poké Ball, ignoring the duo's shock, and turned his gaze back to Mt. Pyre, which was looming in the mist.
This was only the appetizer.
***************************
Enjoying the story? Don't forget to drop a review, leave a comment, and smash that like button! Every Power Stone helps push the story further—thanks for reading and supporting! 🚀